Sava who? Savasana. Or a pose in Yoga sometimes called the “corpse pose”. In the past, I held Yoga very low on my challenging scale. Yet I will be the first to admit that after years of active running around, doing things quickly and contact sports I thought Yoga was a joke. I was humbled, greatly at my first class several years ago. I never realized how much strength it took to ‘flow’ with Vinyasa. Or how much it took to control my breathing in Ananda. I was proven very wrong and found Yoga both mentally challenging and calming at the same time. Recently, I took to practicing the deceptively simple Savasana pose before I go to bed.

It’s quite simple in description. One lies on the floor facing up. Hands turned upward and arms away from the hips. Imagine the Vitruvian Man by Da Vinci but arms at a 45 degree angle from the body. Breathe deep in the belly, letting it rise and fall. Now stay down for more than 5 minutes. Sounds easy until you try to reach your final phase, releasing all thoughts from your mind and be in the present. Yup. Try it. How far did you get before your brain started talking at you? Getting your conscious mind to stop chattering is difficult. Add to that sitting still. I looked up benefits of Savasana on Wiki here’s what returned:

Decrease in heart rate and the rate of respiration,
Decrease in blood pressure,
Decrease in muscle tension,
Decrease in metabolic rate and the consumption of oxygen,
Reduction in general anxiety,
Reduction in the number and frequency of anxiety attacks,
Iincrease in energy levels and in general productivity,
Improvement in concentration and in memory,
Increase in focus,
Decrease in fatigue, coupled with deeper and sounder sleep, and
Improved self-confidence.

Immediately I thought, this is something everyone should master. Keeping still at night after a long hard day or quieting your hectic mind can be daunting. Savasana reminds me of doing a very basic meditation practice. While it is probably best to do this practice after a Yoga class like out Thursday class. It is actually something we already do. Have you ever collapsed on the floor after a hard WOD? Use that time to acknowledge that you are out of breath and thank your body and mind for getting you through the workout, lay on your back, close your eyes, feel the support of the floor, relax into it and breathe. Sure it will take practice to control your breathing and clear your mind but what great skill doesn’t take practice? Happy focus and relaxing!

08.18.13 REST DAY

A recent post on the website BreakingMuscle.com caught my eye entitled “Find Your Off Button: How To Use Yoga for Better Rest and Recovery” written by Bethany Eanes. Over the course of my many visits to Tao of Wellness in Santa Monica for body work and acupuncture with our very own Stephanie, Steph and I have had discussions on the importance of balance in our lives. She brought up the concept of Yin and Yang, and in her opinion many of the activities we enjoy like CrossFit that are high energy, fast paced, and adrenaline pumping show more Yang qualities. She encouraged me to also find activities that are predominately Yin suggesting things like Tai Chi, Yoga, and meditation. Bethany’s post reiterated this idea and even delved deeper as to why she believes Yoga is so effective at helping us relax and learn how to use our off button. She talks about why constantly pushing ourselves doesn’t give our sympathetic nervous (fight or flight) system a chance to wind down, and why it’s so important we find balance and give our parasympathetic nervous system the opportunity to help us “rest and digest”. Check out Bethany’s post to hear her theory on why Yoga generates a more restful state in the body than nearly any other form of relaxation…including sleep (in some studies)!

Be sure to join us this Thursday evening at 7pm for Restorative Yoga with Lauren Leilani, and take time to hit your OFF button, and also benefit from improving your mobility. It’s no coincidence that our Restorative Yoga is also called Yin Yoga as you’ll find you rest easier, feel looser, and have more energy to enjoy the benefits of your workouts. Sign up now!

WOD 8.12.13

Snatch 1-1-1

4 Rounds For Time:
3 Snatches (75-85% of Snatch 1-1-1)
6 Box Jumps (30″/24″)
9 Chest to Bar Pullups

Well it’s Thursday, how are you feeling? Are you excited to start your day with “Wakey, wakey eggs and bacey!?” Or is more like, “Wakey, wakey aches and shakey?” It’s important to listen to your body and make sure you’re giving it enough rest and food to recover. If you continue to work out and go negative in your recovery, that’s when you tend to get injured or your training takes a step backwards. CrossFit in its origins was intended to be three days on, then one day of rest. Intrepid is closed on Sunday, so you’re at least forced to take one day off of lifting and CrossFit in the gym. On Thursdays, we offer the opportunity to have an active rest day where you can do some mobility work, work on your goats and now even participate in Recovery Yoga (tonight at 7p).

Lately there has been the opportunity to do a WOD during the individual time on Thursdays. These WODs are intended for people who missed a day earlier in the week and want to get another metcon in. However, if you show up to Thursday class and truly need an all mobility day with maybe a little skill work, don’t feel obligated to do with optional WOD. Over-training can lead to injury and even sickness if you make your body weak enough. If you really want to push yourself and get an extra WOD in, make sure you’re eating right and eating enough! Consult with the trainers to make sure you have a high enough caloric intake so you’re actually recovered for an extra metcon a week. It takes planning and discipline to make that happen, so make sure you’re up for the commitment.

Also, whether you want to get an extra metcon in or not, make sure you’re keeping up with recovery work during the week, Thursday isn’t the only day you should be focusing on it. Below are links to posts for recovering and mobility tips:

Mobility

Recovery

Don’t forget to sign up for the Intrepid Games! If you’re unsure what division to sign up for, consult with your trainer.

WOD 08.08.13

Skills Day
Mobility:
Quads and Shoulders

Muscle Up Skillwork

Optional WOD:
6-8 Rounds
16 Sledgehammer Strikes
20yd Prowler Push

I’ve touched on the subject before, but having a competition on the horizon helps you focus and prioritize your training, recovery, and nutrition…three things that find their way to the back burner oftentimes without you even realizing it.  Our goal with the Intrepid Games is to stimulate progress, and what better way than by putting yourself and your performance on display for your friends, family, and peers.  Sure it makes you nervous, but I’m here to tell you that nothing lights a fire under your ass like giving something your all in front of others.

Six weeks left, and if you’re like me you’re looking at Alia’s previous Intrepid Games post and looking at some of the categories trying to figure out what needs the most work leading up to the games. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a short list of 2-3 things, follow Alia’s guidance from yesterday’s “Goal Getter” post.  Hold yourself accountable to not only yourself but to your peers and coaches by listing specific goals on the new goal board. I took the initiative and started the list with two goats I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember, Overhead Squats and Running. Although I’m not competing in the Intrepid Games, sometimes I need a reminder and the peer pressure to put in a little bit of work every day towards those movements I feel I struggle with the most. What are your two or three goats, and what are your goals leading up to the 2013 Intrepid Games?  Make them known on the Goal Board and get to work!

Thursday Night Yoga is back in full effect this week. Lauren and I have shifted the focus of Thursday’s Yoga session to be more restorative focusing primarily on stretching and relaxation to help balance the lifting and challenging workouts we do multiple times a week. If you’re goal is to improve or maintain your flexibility then Intrepid’s Thursday Night Yoga is the place to be. Sign up now using our online scheduler.

WOD 8.05.13

Overhead Squat 2-2-2

Chipper For Time:
50 Pistols
40 Pullups
30 KB Snatches (70/44)
20 Handstand Pushups
10 Ground to Shoulders (185/125)

As if three days and ten workouts weren’t brutal enough for the CrossFit Games individual athletes, in true Games fashion, David Castro surprised the competitor with two additional workouts for today. At Monday’s athlete meeting, he announced that on Wednesday they would be doing 10 rounds of 25 m swim, 3 bar muscle ups, and another 25 m swim. This was the first ever CrossFit event to take place in a pool. The second event would take place later that afternoon and would be a half marathon row, or 21,097 meters. Yikes!

The swim event in the morning wrapped with some less familiar faces at the top of the leader board. This event was extremely tiring on the upper body as the swim stroke recruits similar muscles that the bar muscle ups require. Michele Letendre from Canada finished first in the event, followed by Kara Webb from Australia and Rory Zambard of the USA. On the men’s side of things, newcomer Jordan Troyan, former world ranked swimmer, ran away with the event, followed by Ben Smith and Josh Bridges.

The rowing event was broken down into two events. The first scored portion was a 2K race, followed by the rest of the half marathon for the second scored portion. The top finish left two familiar faces at the top of the leader board, as both athletes ran away with both events. Jason Khalipa finished the 2k row in 6:21.1 and finished the half marathon in 1:18:02.3, which translates to a 1:49 500 m pace for the entire half marathon. Impressive! Sam Briggs was the women’s leader and finished the 2k row in 7:17.0 and the half marathon in 1:27:47.9, a 2:05 500 m pace.

At the end of “Day 0″ Sam Briggs and Jason Khalipa hold onto solid leads. 54 points behind Sam is Rory Zambard, and 7 points behind her is Alessandra Pichelli, both newcomers to the Games this year. 40 points behind Jason is Garret Fisher, and 3 points behind him is Chad Mackay. No, these aren’t all familiar faces at the top of the leader boards, but there are still three more days of competition for the individual athletes, so nothing is decided. Certainly another exciting start to the CrossFit Games!

Also worth mentioning, the Masters events wrap up tomorrow. There are five age groups for the Masters divisions, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59 and 60+. You can watch recaps of all of the heats on the Games website. I must admit, it is truly impressive and humbling to watch what these athletes are doing. These athletes make aging look bada$$!

Speaking of competitions, the second CFI Games has been announced. Only 58 days left. Sign up and start working toward your goals! Registration is $35. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering on the day of, friends and family are welcome to help out! Even if you are competing, we can still find ways for you to help out. Sign ups for volunteering will be posted in the gym starting tomorrow morning.

Reminder: Lauren is back for another yoga class at 7p!

WOD 07.25.13

Hang Power Snatch 3 x 2

2010 Games WOD

AMRAP 7:

7 deadlifts (315#/205#)

Sprint across court

14 pistols

21 double-unders

Sprint back

As Ruth mentioned on Tuesday, the 2013 CrossFit Games are coming up next weekend in Carson, CA at the Stub Hub Center (previously known as the Home Depot Center). Personally, I love this time of year, I find it really exciting to watch the fittest CrossFitters out there throw down. It’s the Super Bowl of our sport! However, watching the Super Bowl, most of us can’t imagine what it’s like to play pro football; with CrossFit on the other hand, we do what the Games athletes are doing every week (obviously on a more scaled level, but that’s beside the point). Because you know what these athletes are going through, it’s much easier to connect with and be humbled by what these athletes will be doing for three days. If you don’t have a ticket to the Games, don’t worry, you can watch it on ESPN 3 or on the CrossFit Games website. If you’d like to check out your connections ahead of time, follow this link.

During last years games, Dave Castro, director of the Games, had the athletes show up early the week before the Games and surprised the world with two extra events. On the Wednesday before the games, the individual competitors had to complete a triathlon and The Camp Pendleton School of Infantry Obstacle Course. Unfortunately they weren’t able to show live footage of these events, so the spectators missed out on two major events. This year, Dave Castro promised that spectators would be able to watch ALL individual events, so we won’t be missing a thing. Earlier this week he gave us a hint, he announced the name of the first event of the Games, it’s called “Nasty Nancy.” If you aren’t familiar with the WOD “Nancy” it’s 5 rounds of a 400m run and 15 over head squats at 95 lbs. We saw endless “Fran” in the open, I can only imagine what “Nasty Nancy” brings. See his announcement video at the Games site here. Any guesses as to what Dave Castro has up his sleeve?

As another surprise, Dave Castro announced another event this week. The competitors will be doing a 50-yard sprint with 4 obstacles along the way. The athletes will go in sets of 6 in a 4 bracket tournament. What kind of obstacles do you expect to see? What would test the fittest on Earth?

Today, one more event was announced, a clean and jerk ladder. The athletes will get to pick between 4 starting weights and will progress to the next rung of the ladder every 90 seconds. Any predictions for the max clean and jerk we will see from the men and women this year? Will we see it on the individual side or from within the teams?

Now the last, but certainly not the least important announcement coming from the CrossFit Games this week is Mikko Salo’s withdrawal from the 2013 Games. He has an abdominal tear that is going to keep him from this year’s competition. As 2009′s champion, many were looking forward to seeing him back in action this year. Hopefully he will be injury free next year and we’ll see him at the 2014 Games.

Post to comments your guesses and comments on the upcoming events for this year’s Games.

Today is the first yoga class at Intrepid. Be sure to reserve your spot for the 7p class with Lauren Leilani.

WOD 07.18.13

6:30a – 6p: Skills Day

7p: Yoga

Be a part of Intrepid’s first Yoga class held right here at our gym! This Thursday night at 7pm Yoga instructor Lauren Leilani will host a Power Yoga session from 7-8pm. Sign up online by purchasing a single class for $15 or a 10 Yoga Class Punch Card for $120.  Bring you own yoga mat, block, and straps if you have them, but if not we’ll have some available to borrow.

The practice of Yoga can help in so many different ways.  Better mobility, improved balance, more efficient breathing mechanics, better stability and posture as well as helping you unwind and enhance your self-awareness both physically and emotionally. More background information about Vinyasa Yoga and Power Yoga can be read here.

Lauren teaches regularly at Yoga Vista as well as other studios around the Southbay.  Growing up she was involved in many activities:  a gymnast, a swimmer, a tennis player, a pianist and eventually turned into a runner and loved hitting the weights.  Over time though, all of those things because chores rather than a passion.  Yoga is the only thing that has held her attention for 7 years and she just can’t seem to get enough of it.  I’m working on getting her into one of our CrossFit classes too.  Read more about her on the Intrepid Coaches page, and here’s more of what she has to say about her teaching approach:

“I’m here to share my love and passion for yoga with you both on and off the mat.  With that being said, I realize that the goal of each practitioner is different.  Explaining poses in detail and watching each student grow is what I love so much about teaching.   My teaching style is Power Vinyasa Flow based.  I offer basic through advanced versions of poses with many opportunities to arm balance or hand balance.  The best part of the asana practice is that there is always something to work on.  Prior to moving further in any standing or balancing pose, it’s important to have a strong foundation.  I like to work on that first then move forward to ensure you’re muscularly engaged and not relying on ligaments and tendons which will lead to injuries down the road.”

I’m excited to have her working with us and hope to make Thursday Night Yoga a mainstay here at Intrepid.  Whether you want to improve your mobility, your posture, your breathing, strengthen your core, get into a handstand, or just try something new, be a part of our Thursday Night Yoga here at Intrepid Athletics.

WOD 7.15.13

Press 3×5/Wendler

5 Rounds for Time:
20 Pushups
20 Squats
240m Run